Automated pharmaceutical delivery systems have been in use for over thirty years. The initial purpose of such systems was to reduce the high rates of medication errors associated with manual distribution. In modern times, automated systems present more sophisticated advantages. These include: further reduction of errors, lower costs associated with pharmaceutical distribution, reduction of personnel, inventory control, automated documentation, and relieving professional pharmacists of many tasks.
Automated machines to distribute filled prescriptions to patients also exist. Exemplary machines are discussed in, for example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050021175 to Bain; U.S. Pat. No. 7,228,200 to Baker et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,155 to Denenberg; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,989 to Pinney et al. Each of these devices is constructed to dispense, in the manner of a vending machine, filled pharmaceutical prescriptions to patients (or representatives of patients). The machines are positioned such that one side is accessible from within a secure area of a pharmacy, where it can be loaded by a pharmacist or technician, and the other side is accessible from a non-secure area of the pharmacy, where patients can retrieve prescriptions. Typically, the patient must provide some identifying information, such as a credit card, an ID card, or the like, to prove his/her identity and/or authorization for retrieving the prescription, and also typically provides payment at that time. Ordinarily, these machines are controlled by a controller that is either embedded in or connected with the pharmacy's overall pharmacy management system.
It may be desirable to further advance the development and capability of pharmaceutical delivery systems.